The Rhoades Sanford Foundation concentrates its giving on locally focused education and community-stabilizing organizations in northeast Wisconsin, with a strong emphasis on postsecondary and workforce-oriented scholarships and support for regional service providers. They favor a mix of technical colleges, college-readiness programs, and community foundations, while also funding behavioral health/recovery, youth development, and basic needs organizations that serve their home region. Grants are often sizable and targeted, and several recipients receive multiple awards, indicating ongoing partnerships rather than one-off gifts.
Rhoades Sanford Foundation Inc. repeatedly backs scholarship pipelines in northeastern Wisconsin, with large awards going to technical colleges and college-readiness programs alongside operating support for local service organizations. In 2024 and 2025, Fox Valley Technical College received $150,000 and $75,000 for scholarships, while College Ready received $145,000 and $59,250 for scholarships. Those gifts sit within a broader pattern of support for education access that includes Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Waupaca High School Scholarship Foundation, and Kaukauna High School Scholarship. The foundation also funds organizations that help stabilize the region beyond school access. US Ventures received $200,000 for general operations, and Community Foundation of the Fox Valley received $65,000 and $61,800 for general operations. Other grants supported behavioral health, recovery, youth programming, and food access, showing a portfolio that combines scholarship funding with local nonprofit operating support. Multiple recipients appear in more than one year, pointing to continued relationships rather than isolated awards. The grant record is entirely concentrated in Wisconsin, with a local geographic scope and a clear regional emphasis around Appleton, Green Bay, Neenah, Waupaca, and nearby communities.
Education access is a core theme. Fox Valley Technical College received $150,000 in 2024 and $75,000 in 2025 for scholarships, and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College received $85,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2025 for scholarships. College Ready was awarded $145,000 in 2024 and $59,250 in 2025 for scholarships, reflecting support for college preparation and enrollment pathways. The foundation also funds community infrastructure and student support in smaller local settings. Waupaca High School Scholarship Foundation received $15,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for scholarships, while Kaukauna High School Scholarship received $5,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for scholarships. Beyond education, the foundation supported US 2 Behavioral Health with $40,000 for general operations and Washington Community Cupboard with $40,000 for general operations, linking grantmaking to behavioral health and basic-needs services.
$581K
$5.2M
$611K
$629K
Most grants fall between $8K and $60K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$60K
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Concentrated, regionally focused funding with several large grants and repeated support to a small set of core grantees; mix of scholarship funding and general operating support rather than many small or geographically dispersed gifts.
Notable grantees: Fox Valley Technical College, College Ready, Community Foundation of the Fox Valley, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, US Ventures
Typical grant sizes center on a $20,000 median, with a p25 of $8,000 and a p75 of $59,625. The recent record includes both smaller scholarship awards and larger operating grants, including $200,000, $150,000, and $145,000 gifts at the top end. Recipients often appear across multiple years: Fox Valley Technical College, College Ready, Community Foundation of the Fox Valley, Foundations for Living, Waupaca High School Scholarship Foundation, Waupaca Christian Academy, Kaukauna High School Scholarship, and The Bread Basket Inc all received repeat awards. The foundation makes grants to organizations, not individuals, and no program-related investments are listed.
Grantmaking is entirely in Wisconsin, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The strongest clusters are in Appleton and Green Bay, which appear repeatedly across the recent grants list, along with Neenah, Waupaca, Kaukauna, New London, and Shawano-area recipients. Appleton recipients include US Ventures, Fox Valley Technical College, Community Foundation of the Fox Valley, and Catalpa Health. Green Bay recipients include College Ready, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, and Boys and Girls Club of Green Bay.
The foundation supports technical and community college scholarships, college-readiness programs, local community foundations, behavioral health and recovery services, youth development groups, and basic-needs nonprofits. Recent grants include scholarship support for colleges and high school scholarship programs, plus operating support for service organizations in northeastern Wisconsin.
Yes. Several organizations received grants in more than one year, including Fox Valley Technical College, College Ready, Community Foundation of the Fox Valley, Foundations for Living, Waupaca High School Scholarship Foundation, Waupaca Christian Academy, Kaukauna High School Scholarship, and The Bread Basket Inc.
The grant-size distribution centers on a $20,000 median, with a p25 of $8,000 and a p75 of $59,625. The recent record includes both smaller scholarship awards and larger operating grants at the upper end of the distribution.
Giving is local and entirely in Wisconsin. The recent grants list shows recipients in Appleton, Green Bay, Neenah, Waupaca, Kaukauna, New London, and the Shawano area, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state.
Both are important. The recent grants include major scholarship awards to colleges and school-based scholarship funds, alongside general operating support for community foundations, behavioral health providers, youth programs, and food-access organizations.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE FOX VALLEY | APPLETON, WI | $182,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| US VENTURES | APPLETON, WI | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FOX VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE | APPLETON, WI | $75,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| CITY OF NEENAH PARK & REC DEPT | NEENAH, WI | $59,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE FOX VAL | APPLETON, WI | $52,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| NORTHEAST WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLE | GREEN BAY, WI | $50,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| COLLEGE READY | GREEN BAY, WI | $41,200 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| WAUPACA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | WAUPACA, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| WAUPACA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FOU | WAUPACA, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| KAUKAUNA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP | KAUKAUNA, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE | APPLETON, WI | $1,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FOX VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE | APPLETON, WI | $75,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE FOX VAL | APPLETON, WI | $61,800 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| COLLEGE READY | GREEN BAY, WI | $59,250 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| NORTHEAST WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLE | GREEN BAY, WI | $50,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| WAUPACA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FOU | WAUPACA, WI | $15,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE | APPLETON, WI | $10,800 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| WAUPACA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | WAUPACA, WI | $8,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| KAUKAUNA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP | KAUKAUNA, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| THE BREAD BASKET INC | WAUPACA, WI | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| US VENTURES | APPLETON, WI | $200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FOX VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE | APPLETON, WI | $150,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| COLLEGE READY | GREEN BAY, WI | $145,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| NORTHEAST WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLE | GREEN BAY, WI | $85,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE FOX VAL | APPLETON, WI | $65,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FUTURE NEENAH | NEENAH, WI | $60,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF GREEN BAY | GREEN BAY, WI | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| WASHINGTON COMMUNITY CUPBOARD | NEW LONDON, WI | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| GREATER SHAWANO AREA RECOVER INITIA | APPLETON, WI | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| US 2 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH | APPLETON, WI | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CATALPA HEALTH | APPLETON, WI | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| YOUTH GO INC | NEENAH, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FOUNDATIONS FOR LIVING | WAUPACA, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| WAUPACA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FOU | WAUPACA, WI | $15,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| NEENAH HISTORICAL SOCIETY | NEENAH, WI | $12,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| WAUPACA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | WAUPACA, WI | $8,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| KAUKAUNA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP | KAUKAUNA, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| ANN KLOEHN LOG SCHOOL HOUSE | APPLETON, WI | $3,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| THE BREAD BASKET INC | WAUPACA, WI | $2,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FOUNDATIONS FOR LIVING | WAUPACA, WI | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| KAUKAUNA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP | KAUKAUNA, WI | $5,000 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS |
| BADGER BOYS STATE INC | PORTAGE, WI | $400 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
US VENTURES
$100,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
FOX VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE
$75,000SCHOLARSHIPS
CITY OF NEENAH PARK & REC DEPT
$59,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLE
SCHOLARSHIPS
COLLEGE READY
$41,200SCHOLARSHIPS
WAUPACA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$10,000SCHOLARSHIPS
WAUPACA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FOU
$5,000SCHOLARSHIPS
KAUKAUNA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP
$5,000SCHOLARSHIPS
NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE
$1,500GENERAL OPERATIONS
FOX VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE
$75,000SCHOLARSHIPS
COLLEGE READY
$59,250SCHOLARSHIPS
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLE
$50,000SCHOLARSHIPS
WAUPACA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FOU
$15,000SCHOLARSHIPS
NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE
$10,800GENERAL OPERATIONS
WAUPACA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$8,000SCHOLARSHIPS
KAUKAUNA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP
$5,000SCHOLARSHIPS
THE BREAD BASKET INC
$2,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
US VENTURES
$200,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
COLLEGE READY
$145,000SCHOLARSHIPS
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLE
$85,000SCHOLARSHIPS
FUTURE NEENAH
$60,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
WASHINGTON COMMUNITY CUPBOARD
$40,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
GREATER SHAWANO AREA RECOVER INITIA
$40,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
US 2 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
$40,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
FOUNDATIONS FOR LIVING
$20,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
WAUPACA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FOU
$15,000SCHOLARSHIPS
NEENAH HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$12,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
WAUPACA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$8,000SCHOLARSHIPS
KAUKAUNA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP
$5,000SCHOLARSHIPS
ANN KLOEHN LOG SCHOOL HOUSE
$3,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
THE BREAD BASKET INC
$2,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
FOUNDATIONS FOR LIVING
$10,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
KAUKAUNA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP
$5,000SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS
BADGER BOYS STATE INC
$400GENERAL OPERATIONS